For many of us, that gateway wasn't Steam or a console. It was a single, shady (or legitimate) disc labeled:
While PopCap Games was acquired by Electronic Arts (EA) in 2011, this massive "200-in-1" collection is largely a fan-curated compilation that gathers the company's legendary library from its golden era. Popcap Games 200 1 Download
That search for "PopCap Games 200 1 Download" is a phantom memory. You don't want 200 games. 50 of them were just skins of Bejeweled or weird poker solitaire hybrids. For many of us, that gateway wasn't Steam or a console